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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155539">The Perfect Moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xivz/pseuds/xivz'>xivz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys In Love, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow, Engagement, Family Feels, Holidays, Kissing, Let It Snow Zine 2020, M/M, POV Simon Snow, Post-Book 2: Wayward Son, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sweet, True Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, this fic is wholesome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:54:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29155539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xivz/pseuds/xivz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You have something on your lip,” Baz says, his voice low and soft. His thumb swipes across my lower lip and it leaves me breathless.</p>
<p>“Oh? What?” I ask, fairly certain it’s crumbs. </p>
<p>“<em>Me</em>,” he says before leaning forward and kissing me sweetly. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch &amp; Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Let It Snow Zine</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Perfect Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the 2020 Let It Snow Zine. </p>
<p>Thank you <strong><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sconelover/pseuds/sconelover">sconelover</a></strong> for beta reading.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re a coward if you don’t ask tonight,” Mordelia says to me, although she’s looking out at the ice rink where Baz and her other siblings are skating gracefully. I don’t skate; I mean, I could, but I’d rather not make a fool of myself in front of the Grimm children. Perhaps <em>children</em> isn't quite the correct term for them anymore—Mordelia just turned twenty at the end of summer, and the others aren’t far behind her. “I’d think less of you.”</p>
<p>“Piss off,” I say to her. I can feel her sharp gaze on me (though nowhere near as sharp as Baz’s). </p>
<p>“<em> Really </em>? You asked for my father’s blessing five months ago, Snow.”</p>
<p>“You’re just impatient,” I say. I feel that the anticipation is killing her—hell, it’s killing <em> me </em>! I never thought that it’d take me this long to propose. When I first asked Baz’s parents (and Fiona), they gave me their blessings and we all expected that it’d be done right after.</p>
<p>It hasn’t.</p>
<p>I’ve never felt that it was the right time. Baz and I have been together for so long, and I just want it to be perfect for him. </p>
<p>“What exactly have you been waiting for?” Mordelia crosses her arms over her chest. She’s trying to imitate Fiona’s ‘<em> explain or else </em>’ pose, but I don’t have the heart to tell her that she looks too much like Daphne for it to properly work.</p>
<p>“The right moment,” I say. Although I don’t know when that will be. Lately, I’ve been carrying the ring around everywhere we’ve gone together—Baz and I, that is. </p>
<p>The ring reminds me of Baz. It’s black gold with fine detailing; Penny says it’s not extravagant enough, but I think it’s fine. The ring is a weight in my pocket at all times—a reminder, a promise. I want to be with Baz for eternity, but I’ll settle for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>I watch my breath hang in the air before us. The winter sun is dipping low on the horizon and people take their children off of the ice while couples begin to show up. </p>
<p>Baz looks like he’s ushering his siblings towards the edge of the rink, ready to call it a day. He’s probably freezing; his face is a bit paler than usual, but it doesn’t take away from how bloody handsome he is. I swear he’s gotten better looking as we’ve gotten older. He’s still all long limbs, but not as skinny as he was when we were younger—he’s filled out. His hair is up in a sloppy topknot (that was artfully done and took him forever to perfect earlier), and he’s got a five o’clock shadow that has me wanting to nuzzle at his jaw. Baz has gotten more comfortable in his skin and it’s just—it’s a look that works for him. He’ll be thirty-two in February, and looking like some type of Adonis. Meanwhile, I’m thirty-one and aside from getting a little thicker along the waist, I now have to wear glasses.</p>
<p>“You’re drooling,” Mordelia says while wrinkling her nose at me. “It’s revolting.”</p>
<p>“Your brother’s hot,” I say with a shrug. “Our anniversary is coming up.”</p>
<p>“That’s cliché,” she replies. “Proposing during the holidays is overdone, Snow—even worse that it’s during your anniversary. That’s, like, in every romcom film ever created. Be original.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like I can give him the moon,” I snap. I don’t mean to, but I know damn well how mage engagements and weddings are deeply entangled with magic. Magic is something that I haven’t had in years. “If I could, I’d take him somewhere and cast <b>twinkle, twinkle, little star</b>, but that’s not exactly an option for me.”</p>
<p>Attempting to give Baz a non-Magickal proposal is nearly enough to scare me off from doing it entirely. It hurts that I’m unable to give Baz that. He’s a romantic at heart, and I know that’s what he would have wanted. Penny says that he’d love whatever I come up with, but I can’t help but disagree. I’m probably putting too much pressure on myself.</p>
<p>Mordelia is looking at me with wide eyes. She looks as if she wants to say something to me—probably an apology, since she <em> is </em> Daphne’s daughter—when the rest of the Grimms appear.</p>
<p>The first thing Baz does is slot his face against my neck, in the area not covered by my coat. His nose is like a shard of ice against my skin and it has me inhaling sharply. He presses a kiss against my pulse with an equally icy mouth.</p>
<p>“Cold?” I ask as he pulls away from me when his siblings begin to make sounds of disgust at our mild PDA. </p>
<p>“I’d light myself on fire right now if I could,” Baz says, but he’s smiling at me to show that it’s a joke. A joke that I don’t smile back at; I never do whenever he jests about self-immolating. It’s just not funny to me. “They’re ready to go back to the manor and have Vera make them hot cocoa.”</p>
<p>“You mean, <em> you’re </em> ready to have Vera make <em> you </em>cocoa,” one of the twins says. I can’t tell them apart today; they’re identical and have decided to wear the same outfit. </p>
<p>“It’s colder than a witch’s tit,” Baz’s brother says. He’s eleven and just started Watford in September, and he looks the most like Malcolm Grimm out of all of the children. </p>
<p>“Language,” Baz scolds, but it’s not as if he truly cares. His gloved hand slides into mine as we make our way towards the car park. Baz spells his sleek sports car larger with <b>bigger on the inside</b> to accommodate everyone and drives us home.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Baz and I are spending a long weekend at his parents' house. It’s something that we try to do once a month. A decade ago I never would have thought that I’d be in the Grimm family home, being welcomed warmly and having everyone treat me as though I belonged. It’s amazing how time changes things. </p>
<p>It’s because of Baz (and Penny) that I have a family, and I know that. But it’s when we’re at the Grimms’ for a holiday or a birthday or even a random Sunday that it hits me. I have a family; <em> Baz </em>has given me a family. </p>
<p>Snow begins to fall sometime during the night, a static sound that leaves the rest of the house silent. I like the sight of it wisping down to the ground, landing softly before piling up. Something about the winter is magical. </p>
<p>“Wonderful,” Baz says dryly at the sight of the sleet; he starts the fire up in his (our) bedrooms’ mantle. He’s wearing his old LSE jumper, my joggers, and a pair of wool socks. His hair is in a sloppy ponytail and I’m fairly certain he’s got layers underneath his pyjamas. He’s so lovely.</p>
<p>I stretch on the sofa at the foot of the bed. The bedroom isn't as big as the one in Pitch Manor, but the Grimm estate is nearly as huge. I shift where I'm lounging, intensely aware of the ring in my pocket. It needs to stay on me at all times; otherwise, I worry that Baz may find it before I’m ready.</p>
<p>“Would you like to cuddle, darling?” I ask teasingly. We both already know that we’ll curl underneath the duvet together and watch the news until we fall asleep (because we're boring now).</p>
<p>Baz, however, has other ideas. Which is how we wind up in the kitchen at nearly midnight for a snack. </p>
<p>It’s entirely domestic, the two of us sharing food in the middle of the night. The only light on is the small one above the stove that’s typically left on for anyone who wanders in for exactly this reason.</p>
<p>We’re standing close together, our hips bumping as we enjoy each other’s company.</p>
<p>We open a pack of Jammie Dodgers to share. Baz has a sweet tooth so I let him have most of them, which I feel is right gentlemanly of me.</p>
<p>“You have something on your lip,” Baz says, his voice low and soft. His thumb swipes across my lower lip and it leaves me breathless.</p>
<p>“Oh? What?” I ask, fairly certain it’s crumbs, because despite being in my thirties now I still eat like a starving orphan. </p>
<p>“<em> Me </em>,” he says before leaning forward and kissing me sweetly. </p>
<p>I can’t help but smile against his lips and I can feel him smiling back. He tastes warm and sweet and happy. His cool hands are cupping my jaw and mine are on his hips and I want to stay like this for as long as we can. For as long as he lets me. </p>
<p>It’s then I realize how ridiculous I’ve been about everything. Why am I waiting for the perfect moment when every moment together is perfect? Even the horrible ones where we row and throw stinging words at each other. The Crucible gave Baz to me; it knew what it was doing by pairing us. I can’t imagine my life any other way. Baz is my everything.</p>
<p>Eventually, we break apart and Baz turns to throw away the evidence of late-night sweets. While his back is turned to me, I hastily take the ring out of my pocket. It’s warm and not as heavy as it felt earlier today. I get down on one knee. </p>
<p>“We should head to bed. I’m sure my hellion siblings will want to do something awful in the snow tomorrow, they’re—” Baz stops mid-sentence as he turns to face me. He takes a sharp breath in. I can’t see him too well, since I left my glasses upstairs in our room, but I know that he has excellent vision and can see me perfectly. </p>
<p>“Baz,” I start, and then swallow. I’m shit with words. When I first bought the ring and mulled over what I would say to convince him to say ‘yes’, I spent hours contemplating my words. Penny said I was being an idiot. <em>‘Just tell him how you feel, Simon!’</em> she all but yelled at me. But we’ve been taught since we were small that <em>words have meaning</em>. </p>
<p>Yet, the pretty speech that I memorized over the months is gone now as I kneel before Baz. So I do what I always do. I charge forward without thought. </p>
<p>“<em> Basilton </em>,” I start, “you’re the love of my life. You’re my soulmate. I want to spend forever with you—if you’ll have me. I know that this isn’t conventional; I was waiting for the perfect moment to ask you, but every moment with you is perfection. I just—I love you so much. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?”</p>
<p>“<em> Oh </em> .” Baz’s voice is tight. “Crowley.” His hands are covering his face now, and his shoulders are trembling. “ <em> Simon </em>.”</p>
<p>I can’t help but smile up at him before standing and gently taking his left hand off of his face. “<em> Baz </em>.” I say his name softly. </p>
<p>He’s nodding at me fiercely, and his eyes are damp and he lets out a wet laugh as I slide the ring onto his finger before bringing his hand up to my mouth to softly kiss his knuckles. This causes the dam to break, and Baz is suddenly pulling me into his arms and holding me tight enough that I can feel his heart beating against mine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come say hi to me on <strong><a href="https://xivz.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></strong>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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